National Chai Day is celebrated on September 21 and it is a day held in appreciation of a globally healthy and beneficial drink. Although National Chai Day only dates back to September 21, 2018, the drink is said to have been created over 5,000 years ago, specifically for medicinal purposes and as a special tea for royalty. Its earliest version was only a mixture of spices but without tea leaves. Over the years, it has grown to be loved by people worldwide and taken in various forms.
Chai (‘mixed-spice tea’) is a tea beverage made by boiling black tea in milk and water with a mixture of aromatic herbs and spices. Originating in India, the beverage has gained worldwide popularity, becoming a feature in many coffee and tea houses. Although traditionally prepared as a decoction of green cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ground ginger, and black peppercorn together with black tea leaves, retail versions include tea bags for infusion, instant powdered mixtures, and concentrates.
The term “chai” originated from the Hindi word “chai”, which was derived from the Chinese word for tea, cha. In English, this spiced tea is commonly referred to as masala chai or simply chai even though the term refers to tea in general in the original language. Numerous coffee houses use the term chai latte or chai tea latte for their version to indicate that it is made with steamed milk, much like that used to make a caffè latte, but mixed with a spiced tea concentrate instead of espresso. By 1994, the term had gained currency on the U.S. coffeehouse scene.
Masala chai has five basic components which are almost always present: water, tea leaves, milk, sugar, a mixture of cardamom and black pepper, and ginger. The western adaption of chai, or chai latte, has a lighter and sweeter taste than the Indian version of a more herbal and spicier milk beverage.
The base tea is usually a strong black tea such as Assam, so the spices and sweeteners do not overpower it. Usually, a specific type of Assam is used called mamri. Mamri tea has been cured in a special way that creates granules as opposed to “leaf” tea. It is inexpensive and the tea most often used in India. However, a wide variety of teas is used to make chai. Most chai in India is brewed with strong black tea, but Kashmiri chai is brewed with gunpowder tea.
Chai provides many health benefits like
Improvement of brain functioning, relieving stress, and preventing cardiovascular disease are among the many other benefits of chai. Now, who wouldn’t want all that?
So, celebrate ‘National Chai Day’ with your near and dear ones and end this day with a ‘cup of chai’.